Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers normally determine their position by computing relative times of arrival of signals transmitted simultaneously from a multiplicity of GPS (or NAVSTAR) satellites. These satellites transmit, as part of their message, both satellite positioning data as well as data on clock timing, so-called "ephemeris" data.
GPS receivers determine pseudoranges to the various GPS satellites, and compute the position of the receiver using these pseudoranges and satellite timing and ephemeris data. The pseudoranges are time delay values measured between the received signal from each satellite and a local clock signal. The satellite ephemeris and timing data is extracted from the GPS signal once it is acquired and tracked. Acquiring GPS signals can take up to several minutes and must be accomplished with a sufficiently strong received signal in order to achieve low error rates.
Most GPS receivers use correlation methods to compute pseudoranges. GPS signals contain high rate repetitive signals called pseudorandom (PN) sequences. The codes available for civilian applications are called C/A (coarse/acquisition) codes, and have a binary phase-reversal rate, or "chipping" rate, of 1.023 MHz and a repetition period of 1023 chips for a code period of 1 millisecond. The code sequences belong to a family known as Gold codes, and each GPS satellite broadcasts a signal with a unique Gold code.
For a signal received from a given GPS satellite, a correlation receiver multiplies the received signal by a stored replica of the appropriate Gold code contained within its local memory, and then integrates the product in order to obtain an indication of the presence of the signal. This process is termed a "correlation" operation. By sequentially adjusting the relative timing of this stored replica relative to the received signal, and observing the correlation output, the receiver can determine the time delay between the received signal and a local clock. The initial determination of the presence of such an output is termed "acquisition." Once acquisition occurs, the process enters the "tracking" phase in which the timing of the local reference is adjusted in small amounts in order to maintain a high correlation output.
Global Position Satellite Systems utilize a multiplicity of satellites to simultaneously transmit signals to a receiver to permit position location of the receiver by measurement of time-differences of arrival between these multiple signals. In general, the signals from the different satellites do not significantly interfere with one another, since they utilize different pseudorandom spreading codes that are nearly orthogonal to one another. This low interference condition depends upon the power levels (amplitudes) of the received signals being similar to one another.
In certain circumstances, however, it may be the case that one or more GPS signals are highly attenuated relative to the other satellite signals. Such a condition may arise from blockage of certain satellite signals, as may occur in urban canyon environments. Under these conditions, the presence of the strong GPS signals produces interference that can reduce the ability to detect the weaker signals.